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Im and with him.

Lese small devotions, which are very easy in selves, and which have place upon different ocns, according to different wants, are of service, e easily see, to inspire youth with a disposition rds piety, and accustom them early to discharge in duties of religion, which are usually not n or neglected.

CHAP. II.

OF THE DUTY OF THE REGENTS.

FTER what I have already said of the manner aching, which principally concerns the regents, ve little to add upon this subject. I shall reduce four or five articles; the discipline of the Clasthe Exercises made in them to qualify the Schofor appearing in public; the Compositions and ic Actions; the Studies of the Masters; and the lication of all that has been said to the order government of the classes.

ARTICLE I.

OF THE DISCIPLINE OF THE CLASSES.

HIS consists in keeping the scholars in order, aking themselves heard in silence, and obeyed the first signal; in which the authority of the ter is principally seen; a rare quality, but absoly necessary for the maintaining of an exact disine. I have spoken of it in another place. have likeways already observed that emulation is great advantage of the classes. We cannot be too

careful

careful to excite and support it among the schol There are a thousand different ways of succeedin it, which depend upon the industry and activity master, zealous for the advancement of his discip The greatest art and skill lies in inspiring boys moderate genius, with an inclination to take pair

But the most essential part of the discipline of classes relates to morality and religion; not that I th the regents ought to speak much or frequently u this subject, for this would be the surest way to dis the boys. But this object must be their principal tive and always in view. They must never lose s of it, though they do not seem always attentive to They must artfully lay hold of every occasion that fers to make some remarks, or lay down some p ciples which relate to it; and though it be but so times a word which seems dropped by chance, y is very often attended with great effects. [s] Th comparison drawn from the public shews by St. gustine, whilst he was explaining a passage of a tain author in rhetoric, served to open the eyes St. Alipius, who was then his disciple, and was f of those shews to a degree of frenzy.

Besides these public and common instructions, regent may still be very serviceable to the scholar his watchfulness over their conduct; by the partic conversations he has sometimes with them; by his structions and admonitions; by the care he take placing them in the class near such companion may not be dangerous to them, and by a thous other circumstances of a like nature.

One of the surest means to be useful to them, keep up an acquaintance with their parents, to ge formation from them of their characters and cond upon the first absence of a scholar, to give him mediate notice of it, to prevent the consequences

[] Et fortè lectio in manibus erat, quam dum exponerem, opportunè mihi videbatur adhibenda similitudo Circensium, quo illud, quod

insinuabam, & jucundius & pl fieret, cum irrisione mordaci e illa captivâsset insania. lib. vi. cap. 7.

quos

n to speak upon this abuse, but their carelessust not hinder nor diminish the others zeal. ould do wrong to the probity and religion of fessors, if I spent any time here in proving that e of instilling good morals is an essential part of uty. To think otherwise would be to throw sh upon themselves, and sink them below the on of pagan masters.

ARTICLE II.

HAKE THE SCHOLARS APPEAR IN PUBLIC.

ERE are several ways of improving the boys in ng, and of making them appear in public, anay all have their use. I shall here mention

vo, which are most in practice in the universi→ which I shall add some instructions and rules ning pronunciation.

1. Of Exercises.

xercises are meant the public acts in which the ́s give an account of the authors they have read, in their class or in private, and of all that has he subject of their studies. This sort of exerust have been judged very useful, and entirely able to the public, since, in a very little time, it any order of the university, it has been adoptall the colleges, past from thence into private and made its way into all the provinces. hort, the plainest, most natural, and at the same ost advantageous manner of producing the boys lic, is this method of making them give an ac

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them. By this means they are kept in a close a cation during a whole year, and obliged to pu their studies with greater attention, by looking ward upon the public at a distance, as the future nesses and judges of the progress they shall m They likewise acquire a decent assurance, byl early accustomed to appear in public, to speak b company, and not be afraid of being seen; and b ing cured of a timidity, which is natural and par able in that age, that might be an obstacle to pa the good they may afterwards do, and which becomes invincible, when care is not taken to co it in their youth.

Some persons have been of opinion, that we to make thein speak Latin in these exercises. once in the same way of thinking and practice experience has convinced me that it was less use the boys. The principal end proposed by them prepare them for the employments they are on to fill, to give instructions, to plead, report affair to speak their opinions in company. Now all done in the mother-tongue, and almost in the manner as in these exercises. Besides, can it be th easy, or even possible for a young man to explai self elegantly in Latin? How great a restraint this be to a scholar? Is it not to take from hi one half of his understanding, and to disable hin producing his thoughts clearly, wherein the a tage and pleasure of these exercises principall sist? And lastly, is it fit we should absolutely n the care of our own tongue, which we are to use of every day, and give up our whole appli to dead and foreign languages? The sentime the public upon this point have been very clea

We are now to enquire after what manner exercises are to be made. The surest means ceeding in them, as in every thing else, is by u pleasure with profit.

Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dul

Oughts and expressions; and endeavour to renhe sense and beauties of the original in the tion he shall give of it extempore.

ne exercise is in Greek, especially at the beginthe respondent must be able to give an account ry word, what it is, in what case, and why, ense, and nood, what is its signification, and e it is derived, and must be able to form extemIl the tenses of a verb, agreeably to the rules of mmar; and the same may be said in respect to n author with reference to young beginners. nust also have some acquaintance with the his1 facts related in it, of the situation of the towns vers it mentions, as also of the fables, if any In the higher classes these parts of learning have a larger extent.

s is what I call the ground of these exercises, asis whereon they are built, and which must be 5 supposed; that is, in effect, that the scholar is ect master of the authors and subjects whereupis to answer. But he must not stop here; and aster's skill in these exercises lies in introducing what agreeable, and avoiding the dryness and grammaticality, which are apt to make them teto the audience.

which may

ere are two things in my opinion, which nuch contribute to make these exercises agreeaThe first is, that the respondent particularly apinself to point out the beauties of the author he explains, upon which I have dwelt very much former part of this work. The second, that ake judicious reflections upon the facts and stoas likewise upon the maxims, which occur in ooks, whereof he gives an account; and it is of

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